Manhole Cover Lifters & Hooks
Cast iron manhole covers often weigh 100 to 300 pounds. Prying one up with a pick and dragging it by hand is a common way to hurt your back, crush fingers or drop the cover on your feet. The right lifter does the work for you.
- Utilities
- Public works
- Telecom
- Plumbing
Photo: worker using a long-handled lever-type manhole lifter to slide a cover aside, with cones set up around the opening
Lifter types
| Type | How it works | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hook or pick bar | A hooked steel bar in the cover’s pick hole | Cheap, but you still lift and drag the weight; highest injury risk |
| Lever (fulcrum) lifter | A long handle on wheels or a pivot lifts one edge and rolls the cover away | Much less effort; keeps hands and feet clear |
| Magnetic lifter | A strong magnet grips the cover; a lever lifts and moves it | Works on covers without pick holes; check the magnet is fully engaged |
| Hydraulic or mechanical lifters | Wheeled frames for very heavy or stuck covers and vault lids | Best for frequent lifting and large lids |
Opening a cover
- Set up traffic control first: cones, signs and a barrier around the opening. See Work Zones.
- Wear gloves and safety-toe boots, and stand with feet clear of where the cover will move.
- Break it loose: stuck covers may need tapping around the edge with a mallet. Don’t jerk on the lifter.
- Lift one edge and slide or roll it away. Don’t lift the whole cover off the ground.
- Set the cover flat away from the opening, where it won’t fall back in or trip anyone.
- Close it the same way, keeping fingers out from under the edge, and check it’s seated flat.
Opening a manhole is not permission to enter it. Manholes and vaults are often permit-required confined spaces with low oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, methane or carbon monoxide. Test the air from outside before entry and follow your confined space program. See Confined Spaces.
Other hazards
- Gas ignition: sparks from metal hitting metal can ignite gas in sewers. Test first; consider non-sparking tools. See Non-Sparking Tools.
- Falls into the opening: guard the hole whenever it’s open, even for a minute.
- Back strain: use the lifter’s leverage; bend at the knees, not the waist.
- Pinch points: keep fingers off the edge and out of the pick hole while lowering.
Before you start
- Traffic control and barricades in place
- Right lifter for the cover type and weight
- Gloves, safety-toe boots and hi-vis on
- Gas meter ready if anyone might enter or lean in
- Place picked out to set the cover down
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA: Confined spaces in construction
- 29 CFR 1910.146: Permit-required confined spaces
- See also: Hydrogen Sulfide · Lifting & Ergonomics
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